Black Bear issues in the GSMNP still creating issues for hikers and campers in the Smokies.

With less than 10 weeks left in the active black bear season in the Great Smoky Mountains National park (GSMNP), heavy black bear activities continues to force closings of backcountry campsites, shelters and the issuing of bear warnings for hikers on various hiking trails and now even parking areas.

Never can I remember such heavy black bear activity in the park, and fellow hikers and campers all agree, black bear activity in the Great Smoky Mountains national park is reaching epidemic proportions.

Mind you I am not complaining. The park is a biosphere and the black bear below here and should be here is numbers as great as possible as long as the park ecosystem is able to sustain their numbers and reasonable contain their population.

As for the numerous closings and warnings in the GSMNP issued by the national park service, they are to be commended by taking extra caution and warning visitors. I am sure they don't want any more repeats of this summers black bear attack in Roaing Fork area of Gatlinburg on a small child.